BRANDING: EXPERT ADVANTAGE GROUP

If I had to choose what I like most about designing brand identities for amazing clients, I'm not sure I could pick just one thing. 

But I do know that creating brands that embody the values of my unique clients would have to be one of my favorites. 

It is a challenge to create brands for each different clients, and represent their values in a visual way. This creative problem is a part of the process, and one that I enjoy taking on. 

Andrea Schneider approached me last year to create branding for her real estate team. She is a real estate agent with a large national real-estate company. As her client base, and work load in Nebraska she decided to work with a team within her real estate office. This branding would serve as an umbrella for her and the other agents on her team. 

Right from the get-go I had the task of creating branding for her real estate team that would also work with logos required of her for the national real-estate company. It was a fun challenge to work with. 

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The first task was coming up with a name for the team. After many brainstorming sessions we landed on Expert Advantage Group. This name will represent Andrea, and her teammates well. We wanted their clients to feel the expert knowledge they bring to the table and experience the advantage of that knowledge in the real estate market. 

The imagery of the check mark inside the house was intentional, and connects back to some of the values behind Andrea's brand. A check represents getting the job done. We wanted customers to feel that working with this group would take things off their plates, and get them accomplished. I also loved how the check mark tied in with the values behind the brand:

The Expertise You Deserve, The Flexibility You Need, The Results You Want. 

This branding was paired with additional coordinating branding for business cards, banners, email signatures, and Facebook images. All together it gives a cohesive look that will serve Andrea and her team well. 

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I'm thrilled with how this brand turned out. Looking for branding for your business? Hop over to my inbox and let's chat!

BRANDING: VANESSA THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY

The design and branding process often begin much earlier than you would think. Brands start being formed in the way you present yourself, what you value in your business, and how you tell your story. Many of those things are being developed long before clients pop into my email inbox looking for help with branding. 

My job as a designer is to dig in and discover the ways their brand has been forming, and to be able to capture that story visually. I was excited to chat with Vanessa Thomas Photography and discover all the ways her story was beginning to form her brand.

Logo Design // Vanessa Thomas Photography // Machelle Kolbo Design Studio

Vanessa Thomas, of Vanessa Thomas Photography, has a deep passion for photography even though it has been a journey she just recently embarked on. 

Through our conversations it became very obvious how much Vanessa loves her clients and wants to capture their special moments. She approaches her business with gratitude, grace and kindness. These values are deeply rooted in her faith, and show in the heart for her clients.

The only piece missing was a logo and branding that could convey the genuine kindness, natural grace, and sweet simplicity of her photography. I was excited to step in and capture those qualities in branding that will serve her business for years to come. Follow along for how this brand came together. 

Branding: Vanessa Thomas Photography // Text Logo // Machelle Kolbo Design Studio

INSPIRATION

A lot of the branding inspiration was found in natural elements of leaves, moss, and greenery. These elements reflected Vanessa's genuine kindness, and desire for natural moments. We changed color direction slightly throughout the project, but in the end landed on the natural green tones.

STYLE 

Vanessa was attracted to illustration and hand-lettered text. A lot of the logo concepts included a mix of both. Illustration and lettering are some of my favorites to incorporate into brands so this was a no-brainer. 

FINAL BRAND

The final branding included a main logo, secondary text-only logos, and multi-colored monogram icons to use as social media images and watermarks. We stuck to a very earthy, natural color scheme that comes across in a beautiful way. The colors and simple feel also capture the feel of her photography. A lot of Vanessa's work captures people with elements of nature in a simple, genuine way. This branding beautifully captures the story unfolding for Vanessa's photography business. 

Overall, this was a fun project to visually represent the story happening in Vanessa's business. With a heart and passion for capturing genuine moments already in place my job was to visually represent that brand through illustrated details, hand-lettering and a cool color palette. I'm thrilled with how it all came together! Want me to dig-in to your branding? Let's Chat!

What are your favorite pieces of this branding project?

BRANDING: HERE WITH US

Working on branding with Traci for her company, Here With Us was a delight! I always love finding out about the heart behind a business, and the people that care so much about them. Here With Us was no exception, and I'm thrilled to share the branding with you today. 

Traci started Here With Us as a way to raise money for their upcoming adoption. Her side hobby to raise money quickly became a business, and creating wooden signs was something she loved doing. As their adoption story hit a few unexpected turns, and the family waited on God's timing, the little side hobby continued to grow. Along the way Traci and her family also realized that they weren't sure they wanted the journey of Here With Us to end once their adoption was finalized. The rustic, vintage inspired signs company had become a way to bring beauty to others. 

Here With Us Branding Sheet // Machelle Kolbo Design Studio

After chatting with Traci and seeing her joy about this business I was so excited to be a part of the journey in creating her branding. We chose to keep the branding simple, with nods to rustic and vintage inspiration. We drew inspiration from natural elements, vines and wreaths. The result was a beautifully simple brand with a darling branch icon, and a cool color palette. In the above branding sheet you can see how the main logo is supported by secondary text logos, and icons. 

Here With Us Logo // Machelle Kolbo Design Studio

For the brand we created logos, stamps and a branded thank you note to use with orders (pictured below). This card has all of the contact information customers need, as well as space for Traci to leave a personal note. Cards like this are the perfect branded piece to put in orders, and allow you to interact and communicate well with customers. We are so excited with how this branding turned out and can't wait to see all the beautiful things Here With Us will continue to create!

Here With Us is a small business dedicated to making beautiful wooden signs for your home. Currently, funds are used as a means to support their adoption. You can check out Here with us on Facebook and Instagram - @herewithusdecor. 

Interested in logo or branding design? We would be delighted to help! Send a note on our contact page, and lets get started!

FEATURED: WAX BUFFALO 'BRAVE'

If you are a Lincoln, NE native the odds that your nose has been blessed by the amazing scents of Wax Buffalo candles is fairly good. If you haven't had a chance to smell the soy wax goodness that Wax Buffalo offers, well I suggest you get on that right away.

Wax Buffalo candles are created with pure soy, with fine phthalate free essential and fragrance oils, poured over a clean burning cotton wick. The scents are curated from stories and memories, of Wax Buffalo creator, Alicia. Scent is a powerful thing for all of us, and those adventures and memories are a part of what makes these candles special. Don't just take my word for it, go experience these candles for yourself. You can order candles, find local stockists, and learn more about Wax Buffalo on their website. 

Last spring, I had the pleasure of working with Alicia to come up with designs for her 'Brave' gift set. The gift set included her dreamy Hummingbird scent (think florals + a hint of citrus) in candle and diffuser form. It also included a sweet note with an ode to brave souls that really hits you in all the right places. 

Dear Brave Soul // Hand-Lettered and Hand-Drawn Details // Machelle Kolbo for Wax Buffalo

Alicia wanted a gift set that would be perfect to give new moms, old moms, friends starting new adventures, graduates, newlyweds, or anyone who needed to be reminded of the brave soul that they are. We wanted this gift set to be feminine and sweet, paired with brave and affirming words. The color scheme we went with is the perfect pinky peach. To go with the feminine aesthetic I created a hand-drawn hummingbird figure and flowers to go on the diffuser jars, candle lids and the "Dear Brave Soul" card that was a part of the set. 

The Brave Box is such a special gift, and the "Dear Brave Soul" card is a really beautiful addition. Everyone will enjoy all Wax Buffalo goodness, but the card really makes this special, and hits the heart of whoever receives this gift of love. Alicia crafted the message, and made sure it had a home worthy of it's message on the card. Below is an excerpt from the message on the card to give you a taste of the powerful, and affirming words. 

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“There are moments in our life that change us.
SHAPE US. MOVE US. GROW US.
Sometimes we go looking for those moments, and sometimes they find us.”

— Excerpt from Wax Buffalo "Dear Brave Soul" Card

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Sweet Hand-Drawn Hummingbird // Machelle Kolbo for Wax Buffalo

Brave Gift Set // Machelle Kolbo for Wax Buffalo

I loved working with Alicia to help her create something magical. I loved designing such sweet feminine details to help the packaging for this gift set come to life. Each piece of the design work was intentional and created in a way to love and encourage the customer who ultimately purchase this set. I love seeing beautiful designs like this come together in a way that is better than imagined. 

If you are interested in these gift sets a "little hummingbird" told me they might be making a comeback this spring. Follow Wax Buffalo on instagram, or head to their website to see what local events might have these sweet boxes. 

Creating intentional designs that love and encourage our clients and their customers is what we love to do! Need help pulling together a design, custom lettering, packaging or branding? Contact me to find out how we can make that happen!

 

BRANDING: EARTHENjoy

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of working with Joy O'Conner of EARTHENjoy on a little branding and packaging project. This was not a full blown branding project, as Joy already has some great branding pieces in place. We took what she already had and made some additions to make her branding and packaging even better moving forward. 

EARTHENjoy is ceramic jewelry handmade by Joy. She cuts, smooths, fires and paints all of her pieces. The result is gorgeous handmade ceramic jewelry that you will love for years to come. 

A lot of pieces from EARTHENjoy have a geometric feel. Many of the earrings, necklaces and wares, are in geometric shapes or have faceting that give them a very geometric, yet organic, feel. We took this geometric element of Joy's work and incorporated it into some branding, and packaging additions that will add a special touch when sending out her goods. 

We created stamps, and icons that can be added to packages going out in the mail, or when goods are boxed up at the various markets EARTHENjoy participates in. We also created large functional stamps that can be used on fun paper as earring backers, and thank you notes. 

Lastly, we added this gorgeous geometric shape to Joy's logo! Adding this icon, furthers her brand while keep the logo and branding her customers know and trust. Overall, we just boosted and furthered the branding Joy already had in place. By creating functional pieces and designs that can help her continue to grow her business. 

Interested in this gorgeous ceramic jewelry? Find Links to EARTHENjoy below! 

EARTHENjoy Instagram // Shop EARTHENjoy // EARTHENjoy Website // EARTHENjoy Facebook

Are you a business owner interested in branding, have graphic design needs, or need help with packaging? I would love to chat with you, and help you create something that meets the needs of your business. Let's Get Started!